This book investigates how Indian diplomats navigate and reproduce social hierarchies within the international order. Kira Huju, a scholar of international relations, utilizes extensive ethnographic research and interviews with members of the Indian Foreign Service to examine the intersection of post-colonial identity and elite professional status. The work argues that the social practices of these diplomats are not merely functional but are deeply embedded in historical legacies of class, caste, and colonial influence that shape their interactions on the global stage.

Scholars in international relations recognize this text as a significant contribution to the sociology of diplomacy. Readers frequently note the academic density of the prose and the depth of the author's ethnographic fieldwork.